Program Overview

Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Sociology

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree with a major in Sociology is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the social world, including the functions of theory and its use in the social sciences. Upon completing the BA degree with a major in Sociology, students will be able to understand the functions of theory and its use in the social sciences, gain a richer understanding of the social world, apply sociological knowledge and training to understand theory and policy oriented around issues of human well-being, and apply methodological, theoretical, and research skills to carry out empirical research projects.

Program Learning Outcomes for the BA Degree with a Major in Sociology

Upon completing the BA degree with a major in Sociology, students will be able to:

1. Understand the functions of theory and its use in the social sciences.
2. Gain a richer understanding of the social world, including class, race, gender, ethnicity, education, family, occupation, deviancy, health, and global citizenship.
3. Apply sociological knowledge and training to understand theory and policy oriented around issues of human well-being in the US and globally.
4. Apply methodological, theoretical, and research skills to carry out empirical research projects.

Requirements for the BA Degree with a Major in Sociology

For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BA degree with a major in Sociology must complete:

• A minimum of 11 courses (33-34 credit hours, depending on course selection) to satisfy major requirements.
• A minimum of 120 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements.
• A minimum of 10 courses (30-31 credit hours, depending on course selection) taken at the 300-level or above.
• A maximum of 5 courses (15 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit.

Course Requirements

The following courses satisfy the requirements for this major:

• Core Requirements:
  • SOCI 101: Introduction to Sociology
  • SOCI 380: Social Theory
  • SOCI 381: Research Methods
  • Select 1 from the following:
    • SOCI 382: Social Statistics
    • SOSC 302 & SOCI 102: Quantitative Analysis for the Social Sciences and Quantitative Analysis for Social Sciences: Sociology Lab
• Elective Requirements:
  • Select 7 elective courses from departmental (SOCI) course offerings at the 300-level or above

Total Credit Hours Required

• Total Credit Hours Required for the Major in Sociology: 33-34
• Total Credit Hours Required for the BA Degree with a Major in Sociology: 120

Policies for the BA Degree with a Major in Sociology

Program Restrictions and Exclusions

• Students pursuing the major in Sociology should be aware of the following program restriction:
  • As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, students may not major and minor in the same subject.

Transfer Credit

• For Rice University's policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit.
• Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit.
• Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course.

Departmental Transfer Credit Guidelines

• Students pursuing the major in Sociology should be aware of the following departmental transfer credit guideline:
  • No more than 5 courses (15 credit hours) of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing as Rice may apply towards the major.

Opportunities for the BA Degree with a Major in Sociology

Academic Honors

• The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate's academic history at Rice.
• For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work.

Departmental Honors Program

• The Sociology Department Honors Program is designed to provide sociology majors with the opportunity to sharpen their research skills and deepen their understanding of the discipline through a 2-to-3 semester program of directed independent research and writing.
• The program also offers the opportunity for formal recognition, through Departmental Honors, of those undergraduates who have demonstrated unusual competence in sociology by successfully completing a sustained independent research project.

Eligibility

• To be eligible for the Departmental Honors Program, students must have:
  • Taken at least 4 sociology courses beyond SOCI 101 Introduction to Sociology, including SOCI 381 Research Methods.
  • An A- (3.67) GPA in all sociology courses taken.

Application Process

1. During their junior year, students should consult with members of the faculty about a potential thesis topic.
2. Once a thesis advisor has been identified and has approved a student's project, the thesis proposal should be submitted to the Sociology Undergraduate Advisor by April 1st of the student's junior year.
3. The Undergraduate Advisor and Sociology Undergraduate Committee will evaluate the merits of the proposed thesis projects, and provide official departmental approval in coordination with the advising faculty.

Program

• Students in the Honors Program register for two successive semesters in Directed Honors Research (SOCI 492 and SOCI 493).
• As part of this course, students meet regularly with the other thesis writers and the faculty member overseeing the honors thesis program.
• Students should also schedule regular meetings with their thesis advisor.

Program Timeline

• A first draft of the final thesis must be turned in to the thesis advisor and second-reader no later than March 1st of the student's senior year.
• After receiving feedback on the project, the student will have until April 1st to submit a final draft of the senior thesis to their committee.
• A short presentation (10-15 minutes) of the final thesis project must be given to the full sociology faculty by the end of the spring semester.